When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
Life, according to the principles of Zen, means being guided by serenity, peace and distance from mundane things on a daily basis. It designates the art of living in well-being, spiritual simplicity and spontaneity. The severity of this leads to sensitivity and total freedom, teaches how to love oneself and others. Zen principles teach us distance, showing that we often complicate our lives ourselves and do not accept who we are.
I started reading about art and Zen a few months ago. Due to the long time I spend working with the computer, I decided to buy a mat and start my yoga adventure. I tried to exercise every morning, until it became my habit and now I exercise twice a day and meditate in the evening with pleasure. I also gave up some unhealthy habits. I noticed big changes in my physical and mental well-being. Thanks to yoga, I got rid of back pains and headaches. It's is easier for me to wake up in the morning and after a whole day I feel less muscle tension and less tired.
On the Internet you can find many tutorials, starting with basic poses to more complicated sessions or schedules for several days to improve circulation, detox or fat burning. Personally I do believe, that this is a great way to exercise for many people who would like to improve their health or body shape in a pleasant way and in the comfort of their own home (although classes with an experienced person certainly give more and correct more posture errors, which at the beginning are frequent).
At the moment, I'm in the process of looking for interesting literature on the topic of Zen, yoga and meditation. One of the most interesting items for me is Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies and the Truth about Reality - a book written by Brad Warner, author and priest of Zen.
Questions:
- Have you heard of the concept of Zen before?Have you ever been interested in this subject?
- Do you have your favourite ways to relax during the dayor unusual ways of dealing with stress?
- Have you heard of any other types of this lifestyle?
- Do you think that people today are guided by the principles described above? Do you think they're valuable?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and have a nice day!
The first time when I met Zen was in Vietnam where I visited a Zen monk's monastery. They meditate and practice yoga in the garden which looks stunning.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried yoga myself, although my friend is a yogi. I always thought I wasn't flexible enough for that. My friend teaches yoga on the roof of the building (Joga na dachu), at sunset with a cityview - it also looks spectacular. And the atmosphere is terrific! Have you heard about it? Maybe you would like to try? These yoga lessons always take place outdoors, every summer. I participate as a viewer only can’t force myslef to yoga 😅
Of course! I would love to go to group classes with an instructor. Yoga on the roof at sunset sounds great! You do not have to worry that you are not stretched - your body will tell you a lot and over time you will notice the effects of exercise! 😌
DeleteZuza, you can find her event on Facebook "joga na dachu" every friday at 6PM. There is only 8 places since Covid, so you have to book on FB.
DeleteNamaste! 🙏🏻
Zuza, your article was very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteI have a mat at home, but I haven't reached for it for a long time. Once upon a time I've been doing stretching exercises on it and maybe now it's a good time to change that and start with yoga. It would be great if you could share some yoga channel or tutorials with me.
I've never heard of the Zen concept and I had no interest in it before, that's why I was so interested in this topic.
To be honest for me spending time on my balcony with a good book and tea is relaxing, also arranging my place (balcony) makes me happy. I buy more and more flowers and plants and wonder how to change the look of this place.
All I've heard about is only Animal Flow, I don't know if it has any connection with the Zen movement. I'm sending a link below to show you how it looks like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLYZ-3beDeI
My colleague is a trainer and mentor who conducts his classes, at this moment only online.
Animal Flow is ground based movement, made fun, challenging and effective. This system is designed to improve strength, power, flexibility, mobility, and coordination.
In my opinion lot of people have started trying out some kind of activity that they can do at home, and it could relaxed them as well. For thoose who are not being able to go to the fitness studio is some kind of weakness. I think, that this kind of activity is needed in society, because it affects our body and soul.
Małgorzata, I am very happy that my post brought you inspiration! I think your work with plants is a wonderful form of relaxation. I have not heard of Animal Flow before, but in the video I noticed many positions known from yoga, like downward and upward facing dog or chaturanga. My favorite flow is Vinyasa Flow and Sun Salutations - perfect for any time of the day 🌞
Deleteand fav channel on YT is Alo Moves. I'm sending you the link below to a very pleasant beginner yoga session - I hope you will try!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jOYftc7yOk&t=366s
Thank you very much Zuza! I'd love to start my joga session :) It would help me for sure in the first steps of training.
DeleteHave you heard of the concept of Zen before?
ReplyDeleteMoreover yes, but if you would dive deeper into asking specific questions I would might let you down. I'm common with bunch of basic facts.
Have you ever been interested in this subject?
The older I'm get the more I'm interested into stress reduction so as I previously mentioned I read few things about the concept itself as one of few possible options to become more calm in daily life.
Do you have your favourite ways to relax during the day
or unusual ways of dealing with stress?
What works best for me is to get physically exhausted, then during activity brane switch into survival mode and the longer of that state exist the more relax I'm.
Have you heard of any other types of this lifestyle?
Mainly it was some crap from the Instagram so I don't know how much is that related to real life. It's highly possible that big part of that people is just sharing clickable content and at the other hand I've never dug into that topic so I don't have much opinion.
Do you think that people today are guided by the principles described above? Do you think they're valuable?
I think it's highly valuable but person needs to practice it. Going back to the 1st question people nowadays are so into hedonist rush so I don't think that most of the society have something in common with that.
It's very interesting what you write about mental exhaustion, which for you at some stage is a form of relaxation. I know people for whom intense physical effort is relaxing - by focusing on the body, they give the head a rest. Have you ever tried this?
DeleteOf course, on the Internet you can find a lot of false information about Zen psychology and people who treat it as a fashion.
I love this post! 😍 I heard about it, and I am always drawing positive emotions from this. In our profession we must find something to calm us down. Sitting all day in front of the computer is very unhealthy for our body and mind. Thanks to this, we are able strengthen our muscles, and relax. After yoga exercises I feel calm and have a better mood. It’s is amazing. I think calm breathing, especially during exercises is very important. While doing so we can listen to ourselves. Sometimes when I have very stressful day I need something more lively, like power yoga. It’s is for people who need to spit out of bad emotions. These exercises are very valuable. I think that if everyone would practice them, world would be a much better, and calmer place. 😌
ReplyDeletePower yoga is great! Recently, I am interested in Kundalini. This form of yoga significantly reduces stress, regenerates the body, in particular the nervous and lymphatic systems and increases body's resistance.
DeleteHave you heard about it? 🦋
No, but I'll read about it 😌
DeleteI've heard about Zen, read about it a bit, but it doesn't talk to me - it seems to me that I couldn't implement it in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to dealing with stress - when I'm nervous I go for walks. It is a time when I can calm down, reflect and above all calm my nerves. I rest rather passively - I read, I play. Recently, I read a lot about the brain and the research that was conducted on it (evolution, what areas develop under what circumstances / by what factors, which affects different perception of stimuli by different people). There are also tips on how the brain responds to various stimuli, including stress. Perhaps I will read how to calm nerves in a fast, almost magical way :)
Sure, I've heard about different lifestyles. I think that all of them has their pros and cons. I try to build my own lifestyle in which I get the best from different lifestyles. In recent months it has led to the implementation of regular physical activity in my life, which is an element of lifestyle.
I think people are currently searching. In fact probably most people, especially young people, try or tried to live according to the principles described above.
When it comes to value - it seems to me to be a very individual matter. But if it helped at least one person, yes, I think they are valuable.
Dominik, thank you for the long comment! I think stress is strongly influenced by breathing and calming it down is the basic and simplest relaxation technique. Have you read about others in your research?
DeleteI'm in the middle :) when it comes to stress, it can have many different causes - even imaginary ones. Each of us sometimes fights with thoughts, and these thoughts can grow to the rank of monsters.
DeleteFor now, I've read about breathing, and I'm trying to practice conversation myself - presenting a problem to another person often allows us to realize that this problem is not so much, since it can be described quite simply.
Sure. It's also helpful to talk to the other person about our struggles, so that we can look at it from a different perspective. ✌🏻
DeleteI've heard a lot about Zen but never got into it. Subject is very common in movies, books and culture at all but I couldn't find myself in it. I've managed to find my own ways to relax. One of them is night driving with favourite playlist but started meditation last week and also I find it relaxing and helpful.
ReplyDeleteSince I've never been into it, it's hard to say about any other types of such lifestyle.
It's hard to say if people are guided by those principles. On my own I find them very valuable but I think that everyone has his own principles which helps them achieve their own life goal or peace.
Sure, Zen is present in culture! ⭐️
DeleteIt's interesting that many celebrities are followers of this lifestyle (including Buddhists) - Penélope Cruz, Orlando Bloom or Jeff Bridges. Below I paste an interesting article "Steve Jobs and the Rediscovery of Zen" about him and his path. In Poland you can also find people who treat Zen as an important part of their lives, e.g. Jakub Żulczyk or Natalia Maczek.
https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b06101/steve-jobs-and-the-rediscovery-of-zen.html
I head a bit.. I wasn't interested in this concept. I think that every person has quite different values in life, to go thru, maybe some of them are guided by those from the article above..
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds very interesting, although I already have my own way of life at the moment. Maybe someday I'll change my mind. Rather than classic yoga.. I have't heard other specific ways to relax.
My ways are very easy.. Go for a walk often at unusual time of the day to avoid noise and crowd. Do sport at home for 40 to 60 minutes every single day is good for me to build stress-resist behaviour. I bought a lot of sports equipment to practice. All of it allows me to fall asleep easily and wake up with smile :)
Physical movement is very important for keeping in good mental condition. For me, the most effective are sports on which I can focus or fall into the rhythm, e.g. yoga based on balance or swimming. What exercises do you do at home?
DeleteAnd if we talk about getting up - the sooner, the better! 🌼
I've heard about Zen before, but I've never delved into it. Sometimes, at most, I listened to Alan Watts's lectures. The subject itself seems very interesting to me, especially because it directly translates into our lives every day. I like to go for a walk to relax or lie on the bed and listen to the audiobook. Once I tried to practice yoga, and I remember that in a few months I was much more stretched, but with time my zeal weakened and I stopped this practice. I think these principles are very valuable, but while watching people I have the impression that most of them live in constant anxiety and a state of insatiability.
ReplyDeleteKarol, I really like your comment and I agree with your observations. It seems to me that people approach life with anxiety and focus on "have" rather than "being", "tomorrow" rather than "here and now". It's scary that someone can live their life in such fear! 🥵
DeleteThank you for the information about Alan Watts! I heard about his books and you've encouraged me to read more.
I heard about ZEN, but I’m not interested in that at all. I like to watch NBA or some good tv series, this is my way to relax after hard day. If weather is nice enough I like to lie on the grass and read fantasy or biographical books as well. This is relaxing. I think now it’s very hard guide those principals, but many people try. I believe that there are many people are focusing on those principals and they will find peace and achieve their goals.
ReplyDeleteWhose biography did you read recently? I am currently looking for interesting books about famous fashion designers and I'd love to read a biography of Marlon Brando. 🤩
DeleteIt seems to me that many people misunderstand the philosophy of Zen, imagining Buddhist monks in monasteries. I think that just knowing these truths would help many people to calm in everyday life.
I was interested in this topic and I think ZEN brings a lot to our lives and, above all, teaches a different approach to everyday matters. I practice yoga and I think it is a great way to relax all muscles after a long day of work, and morning exercises put you in a good mood. When I'm very stressed and degenerated, I usually practice, sometimes yoga, sometimes intervals, and sometimes a short run in the woods helps.
ReplyDeleteI think that nowadays people are increasingly guided by these principles, they devote more and more time to looking for a way to relax, quiet, and more nature.
Awesome! Do you have any tips for practicing yoga or meditation for beginners? What are your favorite relaxation and active positions? 🧘🏻♀️
DeleteI'm searching for new yoga mat and I've read about different options - maybe you could help me? I am 160 cm tall, so I don't need a long one. But I need non-slip material for active yoga and I read that India rubber (caoutchouc) works best.
I've heard about Zen before but I've never explored this topic enough. You reminded me of my 'yoga ambitions' with this article. I will definitely try it in June because my spine is begging for help! Gardening is my way to relax during the day. I also train on a stationary bike - it helps me to calm down. I don't understand very much what lifestyle is and how lifestyle is classified. I prefer learning about different trends and getting the best out of them. I think that people are now interested in many cultures and rituals and exotic ways to maintain balance between body and spirit. I don't think Zen life is the mainstream of today's world, but I can see that this trend is becoming more and more popular as an alternative to today's 'fast world'.
ReplyDeleteI encourage you to come back to exercise! Currently you can find many online (live) classes for people of different advancement levels. If you need something for your spine, I put below a video with 5 Yoga Poses for neck pain with Caitlin Turner aka Gypset Goddess. Hope u like it! 🦋
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69q0-fBGL08
I have heard about ZEN, but I have never been interested in it. However, I have seen many positive opinions that it helps people change lives, for example by reducing stress. I don't have a special way to deal with stress and I don't use any techniques. I think that the best way to relax is contact with nature, a walk or a trip to some beautiful place. In fact, most people have their own way to relax. However, if a set of rules helps people cope with stress, it's definitely worth trying.
ReplyDeleteI think being in the nature is a great way to reduce stress, and one day trips are a great routine breakers. Recently I've visited the Zawadowskie Islands. I didn't expect that I would find such a nice and unusual place to relax near to Warsaw. 🌼
DeleteWhat other places would you recommend?
I will be very grateful!
I've heard about Zen, since it used to be very popular topic in popculture. Even now both Zen and Yoga are quite popular concepts among modern influencers. Personally, I've read something about Zen but never got deeper into it.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel stressed very often but when I do, I usually try to do some activity that reminds me about my childhood, for example doing puzzles or playing some relaxing games like Pokemon.
I don't think so. I believe many people don't realize how bad long-term stress and unhealthy habits are for our health and underestimate the problem. I think it's slowly changing, though, and many people, especially young ones try to find healthy balance in their lives.
That's true. 💙 Many of my friends care a lot about their physical and mental health and I love spending time with them!
DeleteI really like idea for reducing stress by your favorite childhood activities. For me, creative works have always been the best way to calm - painting, writing or sewing. Something I can focus on and remove stress or think calmly about problems.
I have heard this term but I have never followed this topic. Therefore, I have no information about Zen. I mut admit is seems to be very interesting. What is more it describes so much things we are lacking these days or we could improve.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I appreciate a nice long bathing.
As I mentioned I am not that into zen/yoga so I don't know any lifestyles similar to them.
Bathing is a great way to take care of body and mind. I also love them and I try to find time for full body care once a week with homemade peeling and oils. Do you use special relaxing cosmetics in your baths, e.g. for aromatherapy? 🌸
DeleteI have heard about the concept of Zen before, but to be honest I have never be interested myself in it. However, I think this topic is very popular nowadays - for example in social media, movies, books and so on...
ReplyDeleteMy favourite way to relax my body is rolling muscles. It's not the nicest activity at first, but as a result the body is fine and relaxed :)
When it comes to dealing with stress, my favourite way is definitely taking a long, warm bath - I know this is not unusual but it seems very helpful to me.
I think these exercises are highly valuable, but unfortunately people nowadays are living into rush and pay no attention to pay no attention to threats caused by stressful life.
Can you say more about rolling muscle ? Is this a form of massage? I would love to know more. Recently I have also read about home acupuncture mats, but unfortunately good quality sets are expensive sets. Have you heard about it?
Deletewww.healthline.com/health/acupressure-mat#how-to-use
Bathing is a great form of relaxation, which I also practice. Sometimes I just need warm water and one scented candle to get rid of stress from the whole day. 😌🌸
I have heard about Zen before from films and YT videos with Yoga excercises. For me it is a state of being at peace with your thoughts and body and there was a time when I was really into this.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of physical excercises, so it's not last too long. But I trully believe that yoga helps your body and your mind become more stress-ressistant and harmonious.
Usually I'm relaxing by watching film or playing games in the evening after work day. I really think that each person is unique, and we all use different ways to relax - so yoga it's not a cure for everything and for everyone.
But for that who haven't tried it yet and haven't such experience I'm strongly recommend to try - why not? :)
I also tried many ways to relieve stress - running, partying, listening to music etc. Yoga is something very intense for me, thanks to which I know myself better and helps me deal with emotions. Of course this is not a medicine for everything - stress also depends on our environment, work and attitude to life. 😉
DeleteI agree with you - it's better to try than regret not trying! 🦋
Yes I’ve heard about the concept of Zen before. My sister introduced me to this topic area, since she’s practicing yoga in everyday life. I myself have been interested in the subject of meditation only. I wanted to incorporate meditation into everyday life, but I lack motivation.
ReplyDeleteWell, my favourite way of relaxing during the day is to play some PS4 games 😊 As you imagine, it unfortunately does not involve much of physical movement. I do not have any unusual ways of dealing with stress, as a matter of fact stress is still an issue I am struggling to control.
I haven’t heard of any other types of this lifestyle.
I am not sure, but I think more and more people nowadays are getting interested in this matter. Looking at how my sister’s way of life have changed since she’s practicing yoga, I do think these principles are valuable. She’s managing the stress very well and her approach to life in general seems to have changed for the better.
The beginning of meditation is difficult because during the day we don't pay attention to breath and don't allow thoughts to "flow". We are looking for distracting activities and incentives, so it's not easy for us to sit down and focus on what we do unconsciously. However, this is a great practice and over time brings better and better results. 😌🌸
DeleteYes I’ve heard about the concept of Zen before. My sister introduced me to this topic area, since she’s practicing yoga in everyday life. I myself have been interested in the subject of meditation only. I wanted to incorporate meditation into everyday life, but I lack motivation.
ReplyDeleteWell, my favourite way of relaxing during the day is to play some PS4 games 😊 As you imagine, it unfortunately does not involve much of physical movement. I do not have any unusual ways of dealing with stress, as a matter of fact stress is still an issue I am struggling to control.
I haven’t heard of any other types of this lifestyle.
I am not sure, but I think more and more people nowadays are getting interested in this matter. Looking at how my sister’s way of life have changed since she’s practicing yoga, I do think these principles are valuable. She’s managing the stress very well and her approach to life in general seems to have changed for the better.
The beginning of meditation is difficult because during the day we don't pay attention to breath and don't allow thoughts to "flow". We are looking for distracting activities and incentives, so it's not easy for us to sit down and focus on what we do unconsciously. However, this is a great practice and over time brings better and better results. 😌🌸 (Sorry for double comment, but I want to be sure that you'll see it!)
DeleteI have heard the symbol of Zen Circle, a circular form that is drawn to express the completeness or the emptiness of the present moment. Additionally, how one draws the circle represents their state of mind at that particular moment. The universality of the symbol does inspire me.I understand that Yoga is about building a balance with the surrounding. One can find inner balance by temporarly cutting themselves off from all the outside trouble and disturbance. I acknowledge has reached world wide recognition, due to the positive affects it has on human development. Yoga remains one of Indians most significant cultural exports. It has of course undergone a significant shift in the last 100 years as part of globalisation.
ReplyDeleteEnsō is a very interesting symbol, but I met with various representations of it (e.g. closed or unfinished circle). Currently, Zen is widely known and many people in Europe recognize themselves as part of the followers of this philosophy. In the West, however, the "Zen without Buddhism" approach is defined as the impoverishment of the Eightfold Path. I think that even a partial presence of Zen in our lives can change them for better and calmer. 🧘🏻♀️💙
DeleteYou can learn more about 8 Gates from this article:
https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/eight-gates-of-zen/
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ReplyDelete